The news President Donald Trump is levying tariffs on steel (25%) and aluminum (10%) products with some country exemptions was met with plenty of strong opinions among industry manufacturers, distributors and master distributors. Supply House Times reached out to a cross-section of the PVF industry, asking opinions on how the tariffs will impact the industry in the short- and long-term.
On the manufacturing side, Barry Zekelman, CEO of Zekelman Industries, which includes manufacturer Wheatland Tube, said his company is in favor of the tariffs. “We believe the domestic steel market is in need of immediate, significant action to ensure its long-term survival. We hope the tariffs help stem the quantum of imports and increased domestic production. It’s an important step to level the playing field in the U.S., so domestic producers can compete in a market that includes massive amounts of over-capacity, much of which is subsidized and sold without regard to profit. This reality has resulted in a distorted and manipulated market for decades. Many domestic firms have gone out of business as a result and thousands of high-paying jobs have disappeared from the domestic labor market.”